Bulb remover device



0d. 21, 1969 E. v. PECK 3,473,423

BULB REMOVER DEVI CE Filed May 27, 1968 INVTOR.

MEQ I/ PECK BY f ,0r faQ/VE y.

3,473,423 BULB REMOVER DEVICE Elmer V. Peck, 15421 Hartsville St., LaPuente, Calif. 91744 Filed May 27, 1968, Ser. No. 732,372 Int. Cl. Hlllk3/32; B25j 15/00 ILS. Cl. 81-64 2 Claims ABSTRACT OlF TIE DISCLOSURE Abulb remover device which provides a cup means for ease in unscrewingand removing bulbs of various kinds of the type used in automobileheadlight and taillight sockets, together with a handle for easy use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates to a new type of bulb remover device which has been adapted foruse in unscrewing and removing bulbs of the type used in automobileheadlight and taillight sockets.

Prior art The invention comprises a new type bulb remover device whichprovides both a vacuum and friction means to unscrew and remove bulbs invehicles having headlight and taillight socket. The invention alsoincludes an optional cleaning means which may be enclosed within thehandle of the device.

Vehicles such as automobiles have numerous light bulbs for variouspurposes such as headlights, taillights, and dashboard lights. It iscommon knowle-dge that such light bulbs are often diicult to remove fromtheir sockets even after a brief period of use because the metal portionof such bulbs easily corrodes and sticks to the socket. The socketitself is also subject to corrosion. Accordingly, in the process ofattempting to unscrew such bulbs which have burned out, induviduals mayeasily break the glass portion of the bulb, not only cutting themselves,but making the base portion of the bulb much more diicult to remove fromthe socket after the glass portion of the bulb has been broken.

Thus, there is a substantial need for a device which will provide a.simple and convenient means for safely and easily unscrewing andremoving such bulbs from sockets in vehicles. Of course, my inventionmay be used in any application where this type of problem is met, notonly in automobiles and other vehicles.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a device which iscapable of being easily used by a person to unscrew and remove lightbulbs from sockets, particularly in vehicles.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device which can be usedimmediately and without the need of any modiiication, to unscrew andremove various sizes of light bulbs, particularly of the type used invehicles.

A further object of my invention is to provide a bulb removal devicewhich provides means for cleaning the sockets from which a light bulb isunscrewed and removed.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device capablefor use for the foregoing purposes and which is relatively easy tomanufacture, assemble, and use.

These and other objects will be more readily understood by reference tothe following description and claims, taken nted States Patent O"3,473,423 Patented Oct. 2l, 1969 ICC in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing forming a part hereof in which FIGURE l is aperspective view of one embodiment of my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of FIGURE l showing the bulb removerdevice in use.

FIGURE 3 is similar to FIGURE 2 except that the bulb is shown removedfrom its socket.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the cleaning means of the bulb remover device inuse in a bulb socket.

FIGURE 5 is a view showing my bulb remover device in use on a bulb oflarger size than the bulb in FIGURE 2.

With reference to the drawing, my invention comprises a handle member10, preferably formed in the shape of a cylinder, and provided with aseries of longitudinal grooves 12 in its outer circumference for ease ingripping.

One end of the handle 10 is formed into a socket 14 having a concavebottom 16 which receives a vacuum cup 18. The handle 10 may be made outof any suitable material, such as plastic, metal, wood, or similarmaterials. The vacuum cup 18 can be made of any suitable resilientmaterial, such as plastic, or natural or synthetic rubber.

The side walls 20 of the vacuum cup 18 are formed to closely fit theinside contour of the socket 14. The top of the side walls 20 has anoutwardly projecting ange 22 having a circumference approximately equalto the slightly flared end of the handle 10 which terminates in thesocket 14. The bottom of the sidewall 20 of the vacuum cup 18 is formedinto an inwardly projecting lip 24.

The other end of the handle 10 has a reduced portion 26 which terminatesin a cylindrical wire brush 28 having a diameter slightly less than thereduced portion 26. A cover member 30 fits over the reduced portion 26and has longitudinal grooves 32 on its outer circumference whichregister with the grooves 12 of the handle 10.

The bulb remover device may omit the cylindrical wire brush 28, so thatthe handle may be more or less solid throughout, since the wire brush 28is optional.

To illustrate the actual use of my invention, light bulbs 34 and 36 arerespectively shown in socket 38 in FIG- URES 2 through 5 of thedrawings.

In operation, a person may grasp the handle 10 of the bulb removaldevice with his hand and then bring the socket end having the vacuum cup18 immediately adjacent to the light bulb desired to be removed. Asshown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, the vacuum cup 18 receives the glassportion of the light bulb 34 and rmly grips it so that the action ofboth friction and vacuum permits easy rotation of the light bulb 34,which is then easily unscrewed and removed. The socket 38 may then becleaned of corrosion by any suitable means, such as the action of thewire brush 28 if the attachment is contained within the handle 10.

For light bulbs larger than the light bulb 34, such as the light bulb 36in the drawings, the flange 22 of the vacuum cup 18 provides a frictionfit around the tip of the bulb 36 so that upon applying hand pressurefrom the handle 10 in a horizontal direction against the tip of bulb 36,the bulb 36 may be rotated easily and unscrewed and removed. Again as inthe Case of the light bulb 34, the socket 38 may then be cleaned ofcorrosion by any suitable means, such as the wire brush 28.

Although I have described my invention in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawing illustrating a preferred form of my invention, itis understood that numerous changes in details of construction andarrangement of parts may be made.

I claim:

1. In a bulb remover device -of the type having a handle member at oneend, the improvement comprising a cylindrical cavity formed in the otherend of said handle member, a resilient cup member having cylindricalside walls insertable inside said cavity and placed in said 3 cavity andhaving an outer flange member extending around the outer portion of thecup member, said flange member being adapted for engaging and grippingthe outer bulb portion of a bulb whereby rotation of the bulb relmoverdevice produces a corresponding rotation of the bulb to unscrew andpermit removal of the bulb.

2. A bulb remover device comprising:

a handle member at one end;

a cavity formed in the other end, said cavity having a concave bottomand cylindrical side walls;

a resilient cup member having cylindrical side walls insertable insidesaid cavity and formed to fit the inside contour of the cylindrical sidewalls of said cavity;

an inwardly projecting lip formed at the bottom of Said cylindrical sidewalls of said cup member; and

an outwardly projecting ange formed at the top of said cylindrical sidewalls of said cup member for engaging and gripping the outer bulbportion of `1 bulb, whereby rotation of the bulb remover device producesa corresponding rotation of the bulb to unscrew and permit removal ofthe bulb.

References Cited JAMES L. JONES, JR., Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R.294-21

